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Chicago — Mondelez International, Inc. has finalized its acquisition of a significant majority interest in Give & Go Prepared Foods Corp., owners of brands including Two-Bite, cookie and gingerbread-house decorating kit brand Create-A-Treat and cupcake supplier Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe. “As we continue to establish foundations ...
San Jose, CA — Nearly three-quarters, 72 percent, of CMOs say it takes them too long to act on insights from data, resulting in hurdles when it comes to meeting shoppers’ personalized engagement expectations, according to a study by the CMO Council in partnership ... Read More »
Washington — Helping small businesses navigate the maze of legislation, determine what provisions of the $2 trillion stimulus package apply to their companies and putting them in a position to effectively use available resources, NCA is hosting a COVID-19 resources for small businesses webinar on ... Read More »
Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland — SACMI Packaging & Chocolate has opened a branch office and tech center in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland, to provide its global customers with value-added services alongside a dedicated R&D facility. The company notes the location is staffed with an ... Read More »
Irvine, CA — Taco Bell IP Holder, LLC is moving further into snacking with the launch of Cheddar Crisps in nacho, mild sauce and fire sauce varieties. Made with real cheese, the baked snack line is keto-friendly, gluten-free, certified vegetarian and contains no artificial ... Read More »
Deerfield, IL — Walgreens Boots Alliance, one of the largest candy and snack retailers in the U.S., has posted positive growth in its first quarter report for the fiscal year 2016. The quarter, which ended November 30, 2015, saw GAAP net earnings attributable to ... Read More »
Mumbai — Mars, Inc. and Tata Trusts, a coalition of philanthropic trusts headquartered in India, are entering into a memorandum of understanding designed to combat malnutrition and improve food safety standards in the world’s second most populous country. The coalition of Indian organizations includes ... Read More »
McLean, VA — Mars Chocolate North America and its sister company Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. is launching an in-store activation campaign that aims to boost sales ahead of Super Bowl 50 commercials for its Snickers and Skittles brands. The company previously announced its return as an ... Read More »
Seattle — Nearly 90 percent of consumers report interest in hazelnuts and their use in snack applications such as energy bars and spreads, according to a survey from the Turkish Hazelnut Promotion Group. In addition, the trade group finds about one-third of survey respondents feel ... Read More »
Northbrook, IL — Bell Flavors and Fragrances, Inc. was named to the national 101 Best and Brightest Companies To Work For during 2015 by the National Association for Business Resources, the flavor house reports. The honor recognizes companies with exceptional human resource practices and ... Read More »
Washington — Five young professionals have been tapped as the first participants in NCA’s Future Leadership Program, which aims to support, educate, and improve access and opportunities for young industry members looking to advance their careers. The 2016 class is: Sarah Atkinson, director of ... Read More »
Hunt Valley, MD — Unexplored vestiges of Southeast Asian cuisine will dominate 2016 trending flavors, according to McCormick’s annual Flavor Forecast, which predicts the regional fare will expand on consumer’s appetite for spicy food. Kevan Vetter, McCormick executive chef, says the company has been ... Read More »
Washington — Nominations are being accepted for NCA’s Supplier of the Year Award, which recognizes an individual from a supplier member company that has made a significant and enduring contribution to the industry, the Association reports. NCA qualifies suppliers as member companies that provide ingredient, ... Read More »
In this issue: Discover the latest movements shaping the licorice market and what manufacturers have in store for the filled lollipop sector. Get a preview of what candymakers are planning to offer for Christmas and Halloween 2020, and review how the industry performed this past winter holiday. The issue also features a contributed piece on essential strategies for remaining relevant in today’s fast-moving market as well as a report on how regional potato chip manufacturers stay top-of-mind with shoppers in an ultra-competitive sector.


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General Motors has been planning on making a diesel powered Cruze for a while and interested buyers were even more excited when they confirmed their plans about two years ago. At the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, Chevrolet showed the production version of the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze TD diesel which will be available later this year for a starting price of $25,695. This model is hoping to attract diesel drivers that usually only have a handful of cars in North America to choose from. The main competitor of this car will be the Volkswagen Jetta TDI and Chevrolet is confident they will be able to steal some sales.
2014 Chevrolet Spark EV
The 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV will be shown at the upcoming 2012 Los Angeles International Auto Show. This will be an affordable urban compact, that will be priced under $25,000 after tax incentives. The Spark EV is expected to have good battery range and offers a SAE Combo DC Fast Charging system that will enable a 80-percent charge in 20 minutes. The on board charging accommodates DC fast charge, AC 240V and AC 120V. The 240V can recharge the battery in less than seven hours.
Chevrolet unveiled the Onix at the 2012 Sao Paulo Auto Show. This car was designed specifically with the Brazilian market in mind. Brazil is the third largest market for General Motors. The Chevrolet Onix is built on the GM Gamma II platform also known as the GSV (Global Small Vehicle). This platform is also used in other small GM cars such as the Chevrolet Spark, Trax, Sonic and Cobalt.
2013 Chevrolet Trailblazer Diesel
The Concept for the new Chevrolet Trailblazer was first shown at the 2011 Dubai International Motor Show. The 2013 Chevrolet Trailblazer will be launch first in Thailand starting in June 2012. The production version was first shown at the 2012 Bangkok Motor Show. The Trailblazer will share the body-on-frame platform used on the Chevrolet Colorado Platform. General Motors hasn’t indicated if the new Trailblazer will be available in the United States. The Trailblazer will be offered in several over seas markets equipped with a choice of two turbocharged diesel four-cylinder engines. Chevrolet is advertising the new Trailblazer as a comfortable and efficient cross over with hauling and towing capability. Three row seating with split second and third rows that fold flat. GM designed this SUV to be capable off-road as well as in traffic and on the highway.
2013 Chevrolet Traverse
The Chevrolet Traverse is a seven to eight passenger full-size cross-over SUV that is built on the GM Lambda platform that is shared with other GM vehicles like the Buick Enclave and GMC Arcadia. The Traverses design was inspired by a 2005 concept car called the Chevrolet Sequel. The Chevrolet Traverse was introduced for the 2009 model year, and at the 2012 New York International Auto Show, Chevrolet unveiled the face lifted 2013 model. The grille and front fascia have been redesigned. The rear features Camaro styled tail lights and redesigned lift gate. Chevrolet’s new color touch screen and mylink radio will be available. Models are available in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive. Chevrolet has improved interior quality with better fitting panels, better materials, silver accents and optional blue ambient lighting.
2014 Chevrolet Trax
The Chevrolet Trax is a new entry level cross-over SUV that is based on the GM Gamma II Platform which is shared with the Opel Mokka and Buick Encore. The 2014 Chevrolet Trax will make its debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. Despite being available in 140 markets world wide, the Trax will not be available in the United States. In Oceania markets the Chevrolet Trax will be called the Holden Trax. The 2014 Chevrolet Trax will have three engines available; 1.6L gasoline, 1.7L turbocharged diesel and 1.4L turbocharged gasoline.
2014 Chevrolet Impala
2013 Chevrolet Cruze ECO
The Chevrolet Cruze ECO uses techniques to improve fuel efficiency without adding a hybrid system to the car. One of the down sides to hybrid cars is they have increased manufacturing costs due to complicated hybrid systems. That increased manufacturing cost is passed on to the consumer thus making the cars more expensive. Chevrolet is using and improving existing technology to make conventional non-hybrid cars more efficient.
2013 Chevrolet Malibu ECO
2013 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel
Chevrolet is planning on adding a diesel engine to the North American Cruze model. This should make its debut for the 2013 or 2014 model year. Two Cruze Diesel power trains are currently available in Europe. The Chevrolet Cruze Diesel will be a direct competitor to the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Diesel. GM says the motor will be fuel efficient, quiet and offer impressive torque figures.

domain: news


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Auto Windscreens strengthens insurer partner team
Auto Windscreens is one of the UK's best known automotive glass repair and replacement companies. Since being re-launched in March, it has created nearly 300 jobs overall and has ambitious plans to grow its network of sites from 21 to 35 within two years. The company is targeting insurers and has already attracted the attention of some big names including the Admiral Group, Insure the Box and 1st Central, who have all chosen Auto Windscreens as a preferred supplier.
Emma Fieldman joins the company from a business development role at Liverpool Victoria and has previously worked for Towergate, HSBC and AON at both insurance company and broker level. Martin Hall has extensive expertise in personal lines and commercial insurance, having worked in development relationship roles for RBS and NIG.
Joy Cooper, Sales director at Auto Windscreens, said: ‘Martin and Emma join our business at a critical time in our sales development strategy for insurers. Both new team members will be responsible for managing a growing number of partners and for generating new business.’


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$SYF and Vaughan Bassett Furniture announced a multi-year extension of its consumer financing program agreement. The program, which began in 2010, will continue to provide customers with access to a range of convenient payment options for purchases made with the Vaughan-Bassett credit card through a network of locations nationwide.
$NFLX a monster move, going up. Expect making some money on Monday.
$AMD down more than 6% even after posting above consensus third quarter results.
$MCD stock rose more than 2% after it posted better than expected 3Q16 results, driven by global same-store sales growth. Meanwhile, earnings and revenue were lower than last year, hurt by refranchising efforts.


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PPC continues to deliver on promise to degear its balance sheet, says CFO Brenda Berlin
The group has reported a net profit of R189 million following the disposal of PPC Lime and Botswana Aggregates.
PPC’s capital restructuring and refinance project has proven a success after the group reported a net profit of R189 million following the disposal of PPC Lime and PPC Botswana Aggregates.
“The capital restructuring is nearing completion and we have successfully removed the need for an equity capital raise,” says PPC CFO Brenda Berlin. “We continue to deliver on our promise of degearing the balance sheet and have used the proceeds from the sale of PPC Lime and Botswana to reduce debt further after the reporting period.”
PPC’s continued efforts to degear the group balance sheet saw it settling a further R309 million in debt.
As a result of the capital restructuring and refinancing project, PPC Barnet continues to be reported as a discontinued operation.
The group said that it has made significant progress in achieving its strategic objectives, which saw it capture further volume growth, improve cost competitiveness and generate strong cash flows, reporting revenue increase by 20 percent to R5.1 billion for the six months ended 30 September.
According to PPC, this revenue largely benefited from a 12 percent increase in cement sales columns and the positive impact of hyperinflation on PPC Zimbabwe’s financials. Cost of sales increased by 24 percent to R4 billion when taking this hyperinflation into account.
South Africa and Botswana Cement experienced continued strong retail demand, which saw cement sales volumes increase by 12 percent to 15 percent, and by three percent to six percent relative to 2019.
Sales to the retail and rural segments continued to outpace other segments of the market. In line with the biannual price review, selling prices were raised to partially offset input cost inflation and an increase of four percent to eight percent was realised for the period.
Excluding PPC Zimbabwe, revenue grew 12 percent relative to 2019, seven percent of which shows an improvement on pre-Covid-19 levels.
Group earnings before Ebitda ended the period 13 percent higher at R945 million, while group operating profit increased by 10 percent to R633 million.
Taking fair value adjustments, profits, disposals and hyperinflation into account, group headline earnings increased to R786 million and group basic headline earnings per share rose by 83 percent to 55 cents.
Looking ahead, PPC’s focus is on optimising operational efficiencies to mitigate increasing input cost pressures and reducing its environmental footprint while further enhancing its financial resilience.


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Soulskill from the new-and-improved,-now-with-larger-numbers dept.
scdeimos writes "Mozilla has announced the release of Thunderbird 5.0b1, the first in their new rapid release cycles. According to the Thunderbird Beta FAQ, Thunderbird 4 was skipped, as the program's version is now tied to the underlying Gecko engine."
Man is the best computer we can put aboard a spacecraft ... and the
only one that can be mass produced with unskilled labor.
-- Wernher von Braun


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10.3.3 iOS beta 5: what’s new?
29.06.2017 0 Comments
Although the announcement of iOS 11 has already taken place, the Apple developers continue to improve the current iOS 10. Before released their fifth beta version of iOS 10.3.3 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
Test the update contains no new features. The list of changes published by the company, virtually identical to the previous assemblies. Quest software also produced no results.
10.3.3 iOS beta 5 is focused on optimization, the elimination of detected shortcomings and vulnerabilities. One notable improvement was the correction of an error that caused an accelerated battery drain. In addition, users can find new Wallpapers for the iPad Pro that appeared in the first beta.
The recent iOS 10.3.2 comparison with the test build of iOS 10.3.3 showed that the new software release will bring some improvements in terms of performance and speed applications. At least improvements have been seen on the iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s.
10.3.3 build of iOS 5 beta is already available to registered developers and participants in the open program testing Apple.


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While, at the moment, we all focus on Samsung’s conference where the South Korean tech company is going to release its anniversary Galaxy S10 lineup and the first folding smartphone, Galaxy Fold, some sketches on the future foldable iPhone emerged thanks to LetsGoDigital. The Dutch site based its renders on a recently filed Apple patent regarding a folding iPhone device.
Nonetheless, Samsung is not the only one going to launch a folding smartphone. Other manufacturers, including Huawei and Lenovo, among others, will also roll out their foldable phones soon. It seems that Apple is not going to miss this train, and the Cupertino-based company also plans to come up with a foldable iPhone, only that we don’t know yet when would that happen.
All we got right now is a patent Apple filed regarding a future foldable iPhone and the sketched LetsGoDigital created based on that patent. Accordingly, it might take a while until Apple’s folding smartphone would launch.
Foldable iPhone Looks Stunning In These Sketches
Be it as it may, the foldable iPhone looks impressive in the new sketches created by LetsGoDigital. And since these renders are based on a real Apple patent referring to a future folding smartphone of the company, we truly believe that this is how the upcoming foldable iPhone would look like when it launches.
Besides releasing their sketched on the folding iPhone, LetsGoDigital hinted that the Cupertino-based company would first launch a 5G smartphone and then would plan to come up with this foldable iPhone. Therefore, since Apple plans to release the 5G iPhone in 2020, we should also expect Apple’s first folding smartphone to come out next year.
“It would be desirable to be able to use flexible display technology to provide improved electronic devices,” the Apple patent reads. But that’s not a suggestion that Apple would indeed release a foldable iPhone any time soon.


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Of the centers opened last year, all were at least 95 percent occupied as of the end of December. This high rate of tenancy, consistent with the North America industry average, is reflected in the company's overall financials, and contributed to its 35th straight year of 95 percent or more occupancy.
"We're going carefully around the country trying to see markets that are underserved," Tanger said.
The company is also identifying properties where, due to their age or changing area demographics, it can divest certain centers. In 2015, Tanger sold six of its smaller centers, which had an average age of 24 years, including a divestiture of its ownership in a joint venture partnership involving a Wisconsin property.
The sales generated $166.3 million for the company, and brought down the average age of its portfolio. (Its remaining locations averaged 16 years.) Having younger properties in its portfolio means Tanger needs to spend less money revamping older properties, which sometimes might not be worth the additional cash infusion.
Already in 2016, after receiving a call from a local entrepreneur, the company also completed the sale of a small center in Fort Myers, Florida, for $26 million.
"We're very comfortable with the fleet that we have," Tanger said, adding that the company has no properties on the market for sale. He did note, however, that as seen with the Fort Myers property, local entrepreneurs sometimes inquire about specific properties.
In all, Tanger operates 42 centers across 21 states. But while outlets are the sole focus of Tanger's portfolio, it isn't the only developer eyeing the space. According to Value Retail News, 24 outlet centers are scheduled to open in the United States this year.


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Tingyi, the Hong Kong-listed food and drink group, has booked an increase in full-year profit and sales.
Earnings in the 12 months to the end of December climbed 8.5% to US$600.1m, the company reported today (18 March). The company said it made a profit despite the global economy recovery remaining “sluggish” and the European debt crisis continuing.
Net sales in the period amounted to $9.21bn, an increase of 17.1% on last year. Tingyi attributed to increase to sales growth in its instant noodles, beverages and instant foods
divisions of 10.2%, 23.3% and 16.2%, respectively.


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Serato has released Serato DJ Pro 2.3.1, an update that provides support for the Denon DJ PRIME 4 controller and SC5000M media player. Upon updating DJ Pro and the Denon DJ firmware, the units will work as Official Serato Accessories with enhanced functionality like hot cues, FX, and more.
Related Post: Serato Adds Support for macOS Catalina to Serato DJ Pro
Prime 4. (Source: Denon DJ)
With their latest firmware update, Denon DJ has brought streaming music to the Prime 4 standalone DJ system. The Prime 4 v1.4 firmware public beta enables internet access via either WiFi or a hardwired connection. Once connected, the controller is able to stream music from TIDAL.
Registered Prime series users and members of the v1.4 public beta will receive a free, 3-month TIDAL HiFi trial subscription.
While streaming is currently limited to the Prime 4, Denon DJ plans on bringing this feature to the SC5000 and SC5000M standalone media players in the near future.
Watch Mojaxx‘s first look below.
Related Post: Review: Denon DJ Prime 4 Standalone DJ System
Watch above on this week’s Tips and Tricks.
Source: Denon DJ
Denon DJ has announced that its Prime series hardware will soon be internet-capable and integrated with a variety of music streaming services. That means that, for the first time ever, DJs will be able to stream music directly from DJ hardware without a laptop.
The following streaming platforms will be integrated: SoundCloud Go+, TIDAL, the newly launched Beatport LINK service, as well as Beatport and DJcity’s forthcoming service Beatsource LINK.
Denon DJ’s Creative Director, Paul Dakeyne, said in the press release:
“With both Wi-Fi and physical internet connection now engaged across the Prime Series hardware, plus access to the huge amount of digital music content from the industry’s premier streaming services, DJs no longer need a laptop computer. This changes everything – right here, right now!”
The Beatport LINK integration will also introduce the first-ever service that enables DJs to store tracks directly on DJ hardware and play them offline. Offline storage will be made available as part of two forthcoming plans: Beatport LINK PRO, which will allow DJs to save up to 50 tracks, and Beatport LINK PRO+, which will allow DJs to save up to 100 tracks.
Beatsource is a forthcoming music service from Beatport and DJcity for open-format DJs. It will include an a la carte download service and the Beatsource LINK streaming service, the latter of which will be integrated into Denon DJ’s Prime series hardware.
Denon DJ’s streaming integrations will be rolled out via firmware updates starting in summer.
Denon DJ has released a number of updates for its Prime Series hardware and accompanying Engine Prime music management software.
– Direct import of rekordbox playlists, hot cues, and memory loops to Engine Prime
– Speed improvements for Serato, iTunes, and Traktor imports
– On-player editing of crates and playlists
– Musical key change and key sync feature
– Increased pitch slider resolution
– Updated StagelinQ support for full integration with SoundSwitch 1.9 for lighting control
Denon also released the version 1.2 firmware for the X1800 Prime mixer. It includes improvements for adjustable brightness and screensaver mode, new microphone utility settings, and tap-tempo flexibility.
The updates are available now from Denon’s download page.
Related Post: First Look: Denon DJ’s Prime 4 Standalone DJ System
PM2THEAM (Source: Facebook) IDA has announced the competitors for the 2019 IDA World Online Scratch Battle. The turntablists' submission videos have b...
Below is a list of the most-downloaded tracks on DJcity during October 2019. To receive these updates via email, click here. 1. Gucci Mane ft. Meg...
DJcity's subscription service has always focused on new music, including exclusive remixes, bootlegs, and edits. Beatsource, the new digital music serv...
DJ Stressy (Source: Instagram) Sweden's DJ Stressy has linked up with turntablist/producer J Medina to deliver a remix of Wisin & Yandel's "Pegao." Th...
DJ Ride (Source: Instagram) Turntablist/producer DJ Ride has released his new EP, Meraki, on Slow Roast Records. To celebrate, Slow Roast has teamed u...
ZIGGY (Source: ZIGGY) Dutch DJ/producer ZIGGY is back with a flip of Far East Movement's 2010 hit "Like A G6." The remix is available exclusively on D...
Pioneer DJ XDJ-XZ controller (Source: Pioneer DJ) Pioneer DJ has released a new all-in-one controller, the XDJ-XZ. The device, which can be used wi...
K-Swizz at the 2018 IDA World DJ Championships The IDA World DJ Championships went down in Kraków, Poland on Saturday, Dec. 8. It was another big y...
Marshmello has linked with alternative artist YUNGBLUD and rapper blackbear on the new single "Tongue Tied." The track is accompanied by an apocalyptic...
New tracks that DJs should know about.


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In their perennial search to get the most value from their advertising spend, brand marketers have gravitated increasingly to programmatic strategies. According to recent data from eMarketer, programmatic advertising now accounts for more than 80% of digital ad spending (including display mobile, social and search), making programmatic a predominant approach for marketers.
But are those marketers getting the best return on their programmatic investments? The convergence of digital marketing channels—along with a push for greater transparency into agency fees and ownership of their own proprietary data—has fundamentally shifted the economics of programmatic, prompting a necessary change in how marketers leverage the channel.
“Programmatic was once a channel where transparency and client-led economics were secondary to hitting impression targets,” says Peter Chun, vice president of platform strategy and growth for SocialCode. “It used to be more about programmatic partners’ bottom line than it was about advertisers’ objectives.”
Much of the recent shift in programmatic strategies and economics can be attributed to marketing channel convergence—and to the fact that Facebook and Google have accounted for the lion’s share of digital advertising growth in the past two years.
“Digital and social marketing are more intertwined than ever before,” Chun says. “There is less and less of a distinction there, and the buying methodology of Facebook is really driving how the other channels are evolving.”
Previously, social was bucketed off as a marketing channel separate from search, online video, over-the-top and programmatic. But as they’ve expanded, social platforms have become primarily destinations for video content. And with Facebook becoming increasingly mobile and more dominated by video, more publishers adapted to become like Facebook in different ways, designing ad products that look just like Facebook’s ad products.
With that, it has become more evident to marketers that they shouldn’t necessarily be treating programmatic differently from how they treat Facebook.
“When it comes to how brands approach planning, those two streams—social and programmatic—are converging more and making an impact on marketing team decisions, like what they are choosing to buy and how they measure campaign performance,” says Matthew Berman, senior director of programmatic for SocialCode. “Marketers started taking a closer look at their programmatic strategies and started scratching their heads and asking why only 50 percent of the dollars they were putting out there are going towards working media. Instead, brands should actually spend less across both channels and can still achieve the same results. Effectively the economics of a channel which allowed brands to be displayed and reach across the internet was being right-sized.”
Transparency is another characteristic that’s new—and necessary—for programmatic. As much as they desire automation because it brings with it the ability to maximize reach and boost the success of campaigns, savvy marketers also want to own certain decisions about their advertising spend.
“A major factor that contributed to the evolution of programmatic was the shift from publishers’ ad servers determining when an ad was served,” Berman says. “That was not working for marketers, because they didn’t have any control over who was seeing their ads. Three impressions could all happen within an hour, for example, and then a brand wouldn’t be talking to consumers the rest of the day.”
SocialCode’s approach is to be transparent and to help marketers put more working dollars toward media, he says.
“We’ll advise marketers on which platforms will perform the best, but we want to be able to move budgets between platforms to continue to see the best performance,” Berman says. “It’s about brands understanding how that dollar is working for them—being transparent with what goes towards click tracking, towards audience segmentation and towards ad serving, rather than ‘Here’s your IO, and here’s how many clicks and conversions you received.”
The Importance of Portability
Another critical requirement for marketers deploying programmatic strategies is ownership and portability of the data generated by their campaigns. In most cases with programmatic, marketers don’t own the data that comes back out of the exchange.
“When you push for your cookie pools or you create different types of campaigns or you upload different audiences, you’re actually not able to bring that back out to use it for other marketing purposes,” Berman says.
Data portability means that marketers could integrate and leverage first and third party data, which is what SocialCode’s Audience Intelligence Platform facilitates. The intelligence gleaned from that data can be applied to other aspects of marketing, from social media to email or search marketing and beyond.
“If we know that there are audience segments that work really, really well on Facebook, we can help brands get exponential reach outside, at the right economics that can scale above and beyond social,” Chun says. “That’s why data portability is critical. Your priorities are going to change. Who you work with evolves over the years. The way you buy media evolves over the course of your partnerships. You should have the liberty to leave and take everything that you’ve earned to the next partner.”
For marketers that might ultimately seek to bring their advertising in-house, portability also means that an agency can never hold their marketing data hostage. That’s important, given that a recent study from the Association of National Advertisers indicated that in-housing has recently trended upward, with 35% of brands reducing the role of external agencies. An IAB study of brand advertisers shows that hybrid in-housing is also prevalent, with 47% of brands moving programmatic functions in-house.
“Since we’ve been working with SocialCode, we’ve seen strong performance across our social channels and are ready to build upon that momentum. Programmatic media is the next channel we intend to expand upon, and we are happy we have an agency like SocialCode to partner with us”, said Ryan Hartman, VP of Performance Marketing at The Zebra, the nation’s most comprehensive comparison website for car insurance quotes.
Regardless of which tack a marketer might take—fully in-house or leveraging select strategic partners—access to data intelligence and transparency into programmatic fees and other factors remains critical, which also means selecting the right partner to maximize the value of programmatic investments.
“The growth of social, social targeting and social measurement is informing literally every other channel that exists,” Chun says. “Partners with this emphasis—versus traditional programmatic agencies or buying partners—are economically focused on giving our clients more working media, allowing them to get more for spending less.”
This latest Social Media News has been posted from here: Source Link


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Unmanned aircraft, or drones, have been in the news a lot recently. This past Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ruled that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has the authority to regulate drones, and can fine those who fly them recklessly.
Meanwhile, a recent article in The Wall Street Journal profiled a Chinese company called SZ DJI Technology Co., which has created a new commercial drone armed with a high definition camera, among other bells and whistles. From the video footage I watched, what struck me was that the drone only weighs two pounds, and looks a lot like the R/C flyer toys that constantly make their way through The Toy Book offices.
According to the aforementioned NTSB ruling, drones are legally aircraft. So in the eyes of the federal government, they aren’t toys, despite the groundswell of drone hobbyists popping up in places like Chicago, and despite the fact that one can see a clear trail of evolution between these controversial machines and less notorious R/C toys. [Read more...]


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Germany wants to have 15 million electric cars on the road by 2030, according to Agerpres. This includes both fully electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles. Transport Minister Volker Wissing then changed a promise made in a deal signed by the governing coalition parties late last year.
"We want all of our cars to be electric. But, of course, hybrid models will also help " Volker Wissing, a member of the Liberal Democrats (FDP), said this at a conference organized by the Handelsblatt daily. This could be a sign that environmentalists and other parties in the coalition are not getting along.
Germany agreed to set a goal of "at least 15 million fully electric cars" by 2030. By 2030, there should be 14 million electric cars on the road, with at least 10 million of those cars being fully electric cars. This goal is a step up from the previous administration's plan of having 10 million fully electric vehicles on the road.
Hybrid cars, which some see as a way to get companies and governments ready to use all-electric cars on a large scale, are criticized by environmental groups for being just as bad as cars that run on fossil fuels.
The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) says that about half of the electric cars on German roads are hybrid cars, and the other half are fully electric cars.
At the Handelsblatt conference, Volker Wissing adopted another controversial topic. He states that it does not rule out the possibility of combustion engines being powered by synthetic fuels, or e-fuels, even if their production is expensive and requires large amounts of renewable energy to make them carbon-neutral.
The supply of synthetic fuels is minimal, and they should only be used by specific industries, like shipping and aviation. Wissing told Der Spiegel last week that this is true.
Monday, Volker Wissing said there was a need for technological openness and that e-fuels could be used by heavy vehicles. However, the German Automobile Association, one of the supporters of synthetic fuels, was not happy with his comments.


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A scrap market in Pakistan’s Mansehra got destroyed after a blast triggered a blaze on the China Road on Friday, officials said, local newspaper Dawn reported.
The blast ripped through the entire market, destroying shops and goods dumped there.
Rescue 1122 personnel along with fire tenders rushed to the spot and put out the blaze after half an hour’s effort.
As per a release issued by Rescue 1122, the exact cause of the blaze was yet to be established, but its personnel had rushed to the spot and put out the fire, thus preventing it from damaging the nearby shops.
The blast, which the locals said was not of a high intensity, occurred in chemical stuff usually sold by the scavenging boys, as per Dawn.
A Rescue 1122 official, Amir Khadam, said: “Because of the prompt response of our teams the heavy blaze was brought under control.”
A retail clothing outlet in Faisalabad turned into a battlefield after a fight broke out between shoppers, Geo News reported on Friday.
The fight broke out when the shoppers were trying to get their hands on their favourite lawn pieces, reported Geo News.
The report further stated that some women shoppers got into a quarrel and their husbands soon jumped in and started raining blows on one another as things went out of hand.
A short video clip of the incident, which went viral, showed one shopper hitting another with a shoe even as others tried to drag him away from the scene of the affray.


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Woman steals $16,000 worth of toothbrushes from Kohl's, police say
MIDDLETOWN TWP., Pa. - March 4, 2013 (WPVI) -- Pennsylvania State Police are seeking the whereabouts of a Maryland woman suspected of stealing more than $16,000 worth of toothbrushes.
Police say 47-year old Beate Proeller of Annapolis, Maryland stole close to 200 high priced electronic toothbrushes from the Kohl's department stores in Middletown Township and Morton Borough.
According to authorities, Proeller created fraudulent price tags and placed them over the original price tags on the products.
The fake price tags would ring up at a value significantly less than the true retail value of the item she was purchasing.
Proeller was charged with retail theft and receiving stolen property.
A warrant has been issued for her arrest.
Proeller uses aliases of Beate Proller, Beate Kanamine and Beate Brandl.
Anyone knowing her whereabouts is asked to call Pennsylvania State Police at 484-840-1000.
pennsylvania, delaware county, theft, local/state
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The company recently obtained its U.S. patent for their copper antimicrobial thermometer, a development that allows it to proceed into the next step which is to obtain FDA approval for this unique medical device, allowing it to launch into the U.S. health market.
“Owning a business in America is the best place to become a ‘somebody,'” said Thakkar, who came to the U.S. from India to attend graduate school at Kent State University, Ohio, in 1981. He received a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1985 and became an American citizen in 1991.
Like Jacksonville, many American cities are winning new international business. Cities as diverse as Dayton, Ohio, and Phoenix have economic development organizations working to attract foreign investment.
As an entrepreneur starting a new project or venture, you'll face many challenges. But you're not alone! Fellow entrepreneurs who've faced those same challenges have advice for you.
Immigrants bring America new perspectives and experiences. Sometimes they see business opportunities that other entrepreneurs miss.
Entrepreneurs from other countries share why this American technology center is so welcoming.
On Wednesday, June 11, U.S. Ambassador to Greece, David D. Pearce kicked off the final meeting of the massive open online course (MOOC) "Beyond Silicon Valley: Growing Entrepreneurship in Transitioning Economies," at the Stoa of Attalos.
U.S. investments in the World Bank and the multilateral development banks support small businesses around the world, helping to boost global economic growth.
by Caron De Mars
I recently talked to a journalist about the State Department's entrepreneurial delegation to Athens, and she asked, "Why Greece?"


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New Roomba Vacuums Tackle Pet-Hair Woes
Sadly, my old Roomba Red robot vacuum cleaner is now collecting dust—and not in the way it’s supposed to. Its rechargeable battery no longer recharges, and iRobot charges $70 for a replacement. I figure that’s money I might as well put toward a newer model. And now I’m sorely tempted: today Bedford, MA-based iRobot launched two new Roomba models designed especially for homes with hairy pets.
When my old Roomba was still kicking, it was a huge blessing, since I have a long-haired Australian Shepherd who sheds copiously. My only complaints about the device were that its dirt bin filled up with hair so fast, and that I had to pick dog hair out of the brushes after every outing. Cleaning the brushes was so time-consuming that it almost canceled out the convenience of having a robotic vacuum.
The new Roomba 532 features improvements intended to address those two issues. It has an additional “sweeper bin” that’s 3.5 times the size of the old vacuum bin, as well as an extra set of brushes and special cleaning tools for keeping the brushes hair-free. According to the company, the 532 also has “counter-rotating brushes” that “reach deep into carpets to pull out pet hair and dander.” I’m already salivating.
The new Roomba 562 has everything the 532 has, plus one more set of brushes, a more capacious battery, and an on-board scheduling feature, allowing owners to program the vacuum to sweep automatically up to seven times a week, returning to its home base to recharge when it’s done. The Roomba 532 goes for $349 and the 562 is priced at $399.
Of course, while many people buy Roombas to clean up after their pets, there’s another group of iRobot customers who buy them to entertain their pets. (John Landry, the former CTO of Lotus who’s now in the venture capital business, let slip after a recent Xconomy forum that he’s one of the latter.) So far, iRobot hasn’t come out with a robot tailored especially for the latter group—unless you count the ConnectR, a “virtual visiting” robot that the company is currently beta-testing with a limited group of users and that can be used, according to iRobot’s marketing materials, to “tell Fido he’s a ‘good boy’ even while you’re on vacation.”
The company did, however, bring out one more Roomba model today: the new $599 “Roomba 610 Professional Series” robot (pictured at left), designed to vacuum large areas like offices or retail spaces. It comes with interchangeable sweeper bins—so that you can swap a full one for an empty one without delaying the robot in its appointed rounds, apparently—and it’s capable of using up more of its battery power before automatically returning to its recharging station.
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How do you make anything in life better? Easy, add Oprah to it. That’s what Holland America Line just did by announcing they will be partnering with O, The Oprah Magazine to create new themed sailings focused on personal growth. Oh, and Oprah will actually join the inaugural journey this July to Alaska.
Called the Adventure Of Your Life Cruise, the seven-day round-trip sailing out of Seattle (starting at $1,999 per person) will feature plenty of guest appearances, like the magazine’s editor-in-chief Lucy Kaylin and Creative Director Adam Glassman, who will talk about everything from magazine publishing to travel style. Of course, the highlights of the trip will be a two-day appearance by Oprah herself with pal and editor-at-large Gayle King.
“I’m so excited to continue 2017 as my Year of Adventure with another bold, new place I’ve never been before: Alaska!” said Oprah in a statement.
The voyage will kick off a series of cruises sailing in North America from July 2017 through 2018, featuring programming developed with the magazine’s editors and members of the SuperSoul 100, an Oprah-selected group of thought leaders in the wellness realm. There will be four themed cruises sailing to Alaska and the Caribbean through 2018 all including a variety of activities like meditation, tai chi, healthy cooking demonstrations, an onboard book club, and more.
“We are deeply honored that O, The Oprah Magazine chose Holland America Line as its first cruise line partner to further our shared belief that travel and wellness have the power to open minds, build connections and inspire shared humanity,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line, in a statement. “This collaboration is going to empower our guests in a whole new way with thought-provoking and enriching activities and content developed together with the experts at O, The Oprah Magazine.” We think we know what Oprah would say to this news: “You get a cruise! You get a cruise! You get a cruise!”


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I was just wondering over the weekend if we'd see a new series of Android Mini Collectibles anytime soon. Well, my pre-cog abilities are apparently as strong as ever, since Andrew Bell just announced that Android Series 6 will unveiled at SDCC and will be shipping out to stores later this summer. Artists include Andrea Kang, Nathan Jurevicius, Otto Björnik, Colus, Dwaine Morris, Igor Ventura, and Jessica Wang. Andrew is also hinting that some enamel pins are in the works. We'll post up images of the toys and pins as soon as they're in!
Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - 10:01amCelebrate the Chinese New Year with the latest eye candy from Andrew Bell! The Golden Rooster Android Mini is covered in gold to bring good fortune.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016 - 1:03pmA questionable choice was made overnight. Lots of people aren't feeling too great. Here are some hand-picked toys that are so cute they're sure to perk you up, even for just a minute.
Thursday, September 8, 2016 - 12:53pmOne of the most anticipated blindbox series of the summer is finally here. Android Series 6 is now available for purchase as individual blindboxes or full cases of 16 figures.


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Facebook’s been under fire in recent weeks for its difficult privacy controls. Experts have pointed out that the company has been marching users down a path of sharing ever more information about themselves. Though the company has touted its fine-grained privacy controls in the past, it’s been criticized particularly for making changes to the default settings that cause users to share more than they may have originally intended.
On stage this morning at TechCrunch Disrupt in New York City, Facebook vice president of product, Chris Cox, promised “drastically simplified” privacy controls, which should be available on the site on Wednesday. Though he declined to give any details of how they will work, the company is clearly feeling the sting of the recent storm of criticism.
It will be interesting to see how the privacy controls actually look. Simpler controls don’t necessarily mean more privacy. It’s entirely possible that it will remain difficult for users to keep the company from making large portions of their data public.


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FEB. 14 I NAMM I SHOWS
NAMM Show Sees
From Jan. 24–27, the MI industry descended upon Anaheim, Calif., for the annual meeting of the musical minds. This year's NAMM Show saw 93,908 total registrants, a 2 percent decrease from 2012. The registrants came from 94 different countries, and the show saw 289 new exhibitors.
"We're in the midst of rapid change," said Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM. "Those who came to the show, met with their vendors, attended NAMM University sessions, hung out with their peers — those will be the ones more likely to succeed than the ones who stayed at home."
NAMM made an effort to increase buyer (blue) badges and decrease guest (yellow) badges to create the most business-friendly event in years. And it worked. While there was a slight decrease in attendance over last year, exhibitors reported strong crowds at their booths that weren't only shopping, but buying.
"I have been coming to NAMM for Alfred for over 10 years, and no hyperbole, this was our best year,” said Antonio Ferranti, head of sales for Alfred Music Publishing. “We were slammed wall-to-wall with dealers. When dealers came in we did iPad ordering and our reps had iPad apps with scanners so they could quickly take their order. All the iPads were signed out and overflowing because we couldn’t keep up with all the orders going on. It looks like dealers are back and ready to buy. Last year was a lot different. This year was so positive. It was a great show.”


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AESTHETICS: Allergan gets boost; no trade secret
Newport Beach-based Evolus Inc. may face a 21-month import ban in the U.S. after ruling in case involving South Korean pharmaceutical companies and Irvine-based Allergan Aesthetics
Metronom Health of Laguna Hills raised a $22 million Series D round of financing last month, bringing its total funds to nearly $50 million since its 2010 inception.
TAVR Rebound; R&D Investments to Continue
Edwards Lifesciences Corp., the highest valued publicly traded company based in Orange County, expects to leave behind the worst effects of the pandemic in 2021.
HEALTHCARE: Proceeds for vaccine trials; skincare line
AIVITA Biomedical Inc. is charging into the New Year with all cylinders firing.
Joe Kiani's Big Pivot Helps Fight Coronavirus, Boosts Device Maker’s Value
Joe Kiani, founder and CEO of medical device giant Masimo, is forecasting a 21% sales jump to $1.13 billion— or almost $200 million more than last year
EDUCATION: Pandemic forces changes on ‘city’ of 60K
It’s clear that the University of California-Irvine didn’t sit the pandemic out.
SPORTS: Surf report has 3 million annual users
Huntington Beach-based firm Surfline kicks the new year off with new CEO and $30M in fresh funds


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The hot foreign exchange app Revolut has ordinary users pledging millions to its equity crowdfunding campaign. Just yesterday, the startup announced it raised a $10 million (£7.75 million) Series A funding round to facilitate the way people send and receive money globally. Of the £7.75 million, UK-based Revolut opened up £1Read More
Post Tagged with: "foreign exchange"
It’s a simple matter to send $20 on your mobile phone now — options abound. But what about when you want to send $10 thousand? USForex has had a mobile app for a while, but it was purely informational. Now users can send money internationally with a few taps ofRead More
CurrencyTransfer.com, a currency exchange marketplace for businesses, is preparing a major funding round from institutional investors later this year, the company told Bank Innovation. CurrencyTransfer.com has received an undisclosed amount of funding from angel investors including Errol Damelin, Gigi Levi, Barak Rabinowitz, and Itay Birnboim. Innovative solutions abound for movingRead More
PeerTransfer, a payments startup enabling international students to pay tuition fees in the currency of their choice, announced it has received some currency of its own today — a cool $22 million in a round led by Bain Capital, and which also included Spark Capital, Devonshire Investors, Accel Partners, and QED Investments. ThisRead More
Ripple Labs, the currency startup, is reportedly lobbying Washington, D.C., lawmakers and regulators on legislation that would ease currency rules, sources tell Bank Innovation.
Stripe, the payments provider for developers, will add robust foreign exchange capabilities, the company’s founder disclosed today. Patrick Collison informed Stripe users today that the company was “putting the finishing touches on our support for foreign-currency charges for US and EU users.” The changes will mean that Stripe can handleRead More
I am watching ฿1 soar to $935 today and my thoughts extended to: how would I get money out of bitcoins today? The truth is the quantity of virtual currency in the world is increasing, and will continue to do so. The wild gyrations in the price of bitcoins isRead More
Kantox is looking to help users avoid the burn of high fees and long waits associated with foreign currency exchange by employing a person-to-person (P2P) platform to directly exchange one currency for another. A source in Europe told Bank Innovation that Kantox is raising another round of funding. Company officials declinedRead More


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EA played it very safe at E3 today, relying on sequels and brief teasers rather than showing off gameplay. Here’s what went down at their E3 conference.
Going into this year’s E3, Microsoft had carefully procured the coal which they were hoping would be turned into diamond in Los Angeles. After a press conference that was left spinning its wheels a little too often, it feels like what we’ve they’ve come away with is simply a slightly shinier lump of coal. While the Xbox arsenal continues to look strong for the coming year, you would not be alone in thinking the industry giant lacked that real heavyweight blow that would keep the conference at the forefront of gaming minds when all is said and done for this week’s expo. Here’s what went down.
Ubisoft is entering E3 with supreme confidence: and rightly so. New IP Watch Dogs has been a huge success, and with new versions of Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry planned for this fall they’re sure to have a very merry Christmas. But this year’s E3 is an opportunity for them to show that they can break the mold: that they can do more than remake the same open world game with slightly different window dressing. Will we see true innovation from them this year, or will we see the first glimpse of their franchises going stale? Here’s what we’re expecting.
The EA conferences at previous E3s have been remembered for Battlefield, sports, and… well, not too much else. Despite this, last year’s conference was one of 2013’s most memorable, giving us looks at new additions to the Mirror’s Edge, Need for Speed and Star Wars: Battlefront franchises, as well as the heavyweight reveal of Peggle 2. Twelve months on, and it’s time to see if lightning will strike twice for the two-time Worst Company in America. Here’s what we’re expecting from EA at E3 2014.
Nintendo are, by all accounts, in a dire situation. The Wii U is doing dismally, and the 3DS’ sales aren’t good enough to sustain the company. Although they’ll be somewhat encouraged by strong Mario Kart 8 sales, Nintendo’s executives will be going into E3 with an air of trepidation: this could well be their last chance to save the company. As with last year, they’ll be eschewing the traditional keynote speech, instead opting for a more low-key (and cheaper) Nintendo Direct briefing, but that won’t stop the torrent of announcements. Here’s what you can expect from the struggling gaming giant at E3 2014.
Last year, Sony bounced back in a big way with both core and casual consumers thanks to its explosive E3 press conference reveals. And while we doubt anything at this year’s event will top those particular highlights, it certainly seems like they’ll have enough to light up the eyes of even the most jaded convention-goer. Here are some of the heavy-hitters we expect Sony to roll out at this year’s E3.
It’s a bold statement for any company to make that they will fundamentally change how you play video games. Yet that is just what gamer Clif Chambliss AKA @8bitBass is claiming with his company’s new product: The GlomTom. Some may know Clif as his podcasting and blogging handle 8bitBass from over the years. He developed the GlomTom as a passion and dream to bring a revolutionary new product to his gamer peers from around the world.
I didn’t really get Skies of Saturn. You’re controlling a sail, and you can steer it through the world, catching the wind and squeezing yourself tight to fit through narrow gaps. But I didn’t get what the point was. Normally this isn’t an issue: I quite like games without an objective, in fact. But Skies of Saturn kept hinting that there was something more: cubes to collect, but nothing obvious about what to do with them. It was mysterious, but in a bad way: when I asked the developer if there was an objective and got the reply “You tell me”, that summed up my experience with the game quite well. It’s more than a little pretentious.


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Istanbul based airline company Pegasus There has been an important development. Esas Holding, which owns 62.91 percent of the company, and some shareholders announced that the sale of 7 percent of their shares has been completed. The details of the said sale transaction were revealed in the statement made to the Public Disclosure Platform on the subject.
7 percent of Pegasus sold
The issued capital of Esas Holding 6.25 percent6,393,732 shares, corresponding to . 0.75in total, including 767,250 shares, corresponding to 7,160,982 piece your share to qualified institutional investors It was announced that the sale was completed by the bookkeeping method.
Sales price per share within the scope of the transaction 315 TL and the gross proceeds from the transaction amounted to approximately TL 2.6 billion (2,255,709,330 TL) corresponds. After the sale, Esas Holding’s share in Pegasus was announced as 56.66 percent and the share of real person shareholders in the company as 1.82 percent. On the other hand, it should be noted that Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Securities acted as “Demand Collectors” in the sale transaction.
Finally, in the statement 6.25 percentselling his share Main HoldingIt was underlined that Pegasus will remain the majority shareholder and will maintain its management control. on the other hand holding companyIt was stated that the commitment and support of Pegasus will continue.
So what do you think about this subject? Do not forget to share your views with us in the comments section!


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EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. - As students in School District 49 went back to school Wednesday from winter break, they noticed a change in their lunch menu: no more free bottled water.
"I've seen the school lunch programs go backwards over the last 10 years. This is another hit," said Eric Boerendonk, a parent.
If a student at D-49 wants bottled water at lunch, it's no longer free. They'll now have to pay $1.50.
"That's ridiculous. I can stand outside the school and sell it for much cheaper than that but I shouldn't have to," Boerendonk said.
D-49, along with several other districts in the Pikes Peak region, have a contract with Coca-Cola. They used to allow districts to purchase all their drinks from them and water from a different vendor at a lower cost, but not anymore.
"Recent changes with the local vendor and how the contract is being administered caused an increase in the price of water," said Matt Meister, District 49 director of communications.
KRDO price checked a 24 pack of Coca-Cola brand Dasani water. It costs $5.49 for a 24 pack at a local grocery store, which is equivalent to 22 cents a bottle. However, the $1.50 per-bottle price is equivalent to a case going for $36.
Many are left wondering; where is this money going?
"That goes to buy better quality meats, less processed foods, high-quality meals that gets them set for learning in the classroom," Meister said.
Meister says excess funding will stay in the nutrition services program, but as for the profit going to Coca-Cola, the district has no say.
"We understand this is a frustrating situation and were continuing to work with our beverage vendor to find a solution that works for students, parents and allows nutrition program to operate," he said.
In the meantime, students can get milk and a juice box at lunch for no charge. Parents hope the charge for bottled water is temporary.
"I think Coca-Cola should work with the schools better and not force these kind of prices on the schools. I mean, it's not just D-49; other districts are in the same situation," Boerendonk said.
D-49 says they have two years left on their contract and when the time is up they'll explore other options. KRDO contacted Coca-Cola for a statement but didn't hear back.


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Thanks to the price cut, the entry-level Zeekr 001 with 544 hp and 546 km of CLTC range costs 269,000 yuan (37,180 USD) in China.
China EV Daily (Aug 10): Baojun launches Cloud, Geely’s Galaxy E8 spied, Zeekr reveals 001 FR, Neta enters Indonesian market
Baojun launches new Cloud model, Geely's all-electric Galaxy E8 leaked, Zeekr reveals 001 FR images, Geely and Baidu set up new automotive tech company, Neta Automobile enters Indonesian market.
The Zeekr 001 FR is a sporty version of the current model. It has a sporty exterior and reworked interior. Let's get to it.
Zeekr will start deliveries of 001 and X electric vehicles in Kazakhstan in November this year. Another overseas market for Zeekr.
Zeekr 001 will first launch in Sweden and the Netherlands, then Norway, Germany, Denmark, and France in Europe.
The CS1E EV sedan will be the first Zeekr's car with three screens. It will launch this year with 544 hp.
The Zeekr CS1E will debut in China in August with 544 hp, three LiDARs and distinguishing Zeekr design language.
How did a brand-new Chinese EV maker produce 3 new models in two years and sell a hundred thousand?
In the first half of this year, Zeekr sold 42,633 units, an increase of 122% over the same period last year, achieving growth for five consecutive months.
In Europe, Zeekr's first official brand stores will open in Stockholm and Amsterdam before the end of this year, then subsequently throughout Western Europe by 2026.


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Stratasys CEO Yoav Zief will be taking part in the SmarTech Stifel AM Investment Strategies event on September 9th. We’re incredibly proud that we’ve got a set of very exciting industry leaders together for that event.
Zief will be there representing Stratasys, a publicly traded firm responsible for inventing and commercializing material extrusion 3D printing technology, also called fused deposition modeling (FDM). For a large part of its 32-year existence Stratasys relied on FDM as its single technology pillar. Then, it merged with Israeli company Objet with its PolyJet 3D printing technology. Where FDM is not so detailed and smooth, PolyJet is. But while PolyJet parts are rather fragile, FDM parts are strong and tough. These two complimentary processes where developed and deployed worldwide through a global reseller network.
Very recently, Stratasys acquired Origin, a digital light processing (DLP) technology firm with open materials and a focus on large batch manufacturing. This means that it has a competitive, fast machine to make detailed resin parts for casts, molding, hearing aids, thermoforming inserts, and other small parts that are being used in their millions.
Stratasys also bought RPS a large stereolithography (SLA) company that has made high speed SLA machines for Formula 1 teams and other clients. This means that the firm can now also offer large resin parts for casting, end-use parts, and prototyping. Stratasys also invested in inkjet head maker Xaar, whose print heads are being used for Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF), a high throughput powder bed fusion (PBF) technology that Stratasys is in the process of commercializing.
Stratasys now has machines in all of the mayor polymer 3D printing technologies. At the same time, it also runs a service, Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, which allows companies to 3D print parts. 3D Systems has just sold its service division and seems to be pivoting towards healthcare. Stratasys, on the other hand, is coming out with many application-specific machines; a dental version of a PolyJet printer optimized for dental users, for example. While it is keen to be active in and expand its aviation and space segments, it seems to be broadly focused on all of the relevant industries and applications.
What it does not yet do is metal printing. The company has invested in some metal printing and told the world about its Layered Powder Metal technology in 2018. It’s unclear if and when this will be released. Stratasys’s MakerBot subsidiary unit also makes professional material extrusion printers around the $5,000 mark. That unit can still grow as a well if it takes on more enterprise customers. The firm’s entry-level MakerBot offering has become much more reliable recently and could find its way into more offices.
Stratasys has a huge advantage in my mind. It has a good, trusted global reseller network. These can now cross-sell their existing customers an array of products. Existing resellers can also now expand their businesses in dental, hearing aids, and other areas because of the new technologies that they can offer. This is a significant opportunity for the firm.
In the same vein, I think that post-processing can be a huge opportunity for the firm. Support removal, de-powdering, and surfacing models is a huge spend for the industry. A significant share of part costs are to be found in post-processing. Offering these machines to its network would make more business cases possible, reduce part costs and be a new source of revenue.
With regards to the several 3D printing processes, there is a risk that the company has to now spread its R&D budget over a number of different technologies. Will they have the spend to advance them all simultaneously? It is also making maintenance and service much more complex than it used to be through adding dozens of machines and different technologies. The company has a made a series of bold moves in the past few years. Its new product lineup and technology offering will take time to crystallize and spread around to its partners. But, then we can see if the company has found a new font for long term growth.
Stratasys CEO Yoav Zief will take part in the SmarTech – Stifel AM Investment Strategies 2021 summit on September 9, 2021, where he will be able to shed more light on the overall market and his company’s role in it. Register for free here.
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By Niklas Kouparanis, CEO and Co-founder, Bloomwell Group
Tourism has become a profitable and ever-growing asset of the licensed cannabis industries within the U.S. and Canada, as well as the Netherlands, despite the country’s lack of formal adult-use cannabis legalization. With Germany on the cusp of legalizing adult-use cannabis amid a profitable medical-only market, businesses, investors and travelers alike are gearing up to embrace new cannabis tourism opportunities on the horizon.
Since 2013, Amsterdam has welcomed residents and tourists to its coffee shops. These social cannabis consumption lounges were even declared “essential businesses” as part of the Dutch lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over in the States, adult-use markets have attracted both in-state and out-of-state cannabis connoisseurs. Forbes recently cited data from a 2022 Harris Poll survey which found that half of Millennial respondents said that access to legal cannabis is a factor in planning a vacation. In addition, 43% said that they’ve specifically chosen a destination with a legalized adult-use market. Colorado, which has legalized adult use since 2020, has noted that dispensary visits are common amongst travelers to the Centennial State. According to research released from the Colorado Tourism Office, 16% of those who traveled to Colorado in winter and 15% who traveled to the state in summer visited a cannabis dispensary or retail store while they were there. Also, according to the report, visitors who participated in cannabis-related activities were more likely to stay longer in the state versus those who did not partake.
Germany is set to legalize adult-use cannabis by 2024 and will be the world's largest recreational cannabis market due to the country’s population size. In June 2022, the German government held five hearings to discuss the framework of adult-use cannabis legalization. Representatives from the German government and more than 200 people from medical, legal and business verticals as well as international experts participated in these critical discussions.
Adult-use legalization in Germany will induce a “tourist demand,” particularly from its nine neighboring countries. The criteria of what adult-use legalization will entail, including whether visitors from other European Union (EU) countries and other parts of the world would be able to purchase and use cannabis within the country, has yet to …


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What Recession? Cyber Monday Breaks Sales Records
Retailers saw their products fly off the digital shelf at an all time high this week.
This past Monday, the Internet nearly exploded with the biggest discount day of the year. As online shopping becomes more popular, less people wait in lines on the day after Thanksgiving. We agree, we'd rather shop on our computers than stand in inclement weather for Black Friday sales.
According to CBS News, online sales saw a 30 percent rise on Monday. The National Retail Federation forecasts online retail sales will rise up to roughly $586 billion this year. It makes sense, as it takes less time to click and buy than drive around various shops and malls.
ComScore Inc, a research firm, states that sales on Monday versus last year rose 17 percent from $1.25 billion to $1.46 billion. Mobile sales this year have played a tremendous role in the increase, thanks to companies like Amazon and Ebay offering amazing deals, and to the increased usage of tablets enabling consumers to shop anywhere.
These numbers prove that Cyber Monday isn't just a trend. Overall sales have increased because there are more people taking advantage of the sales. Expect to see longer and more extensive sales next year during the Thanksgiving week as companies seek to recover the cost of holding older inventory and introduce new products. Start saving now because with the right amount of cash, you can redo your entire wardrobe next Cyber Monday.
[via CBS News]


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The country's leading two-wheeler major Hero MotoCorp is expected to showcase a robust October-December quarter led by benign input costs, operative leverage and a surge in volumes.
The Harley Davidson maker is expected to report a net profit of Rs 1,048 crore, according to the average estimate of six brokerage firms. During the same period last year, the company's net profit stood at Rs 711 crore.
The Delhi-headquartered company's revenue from operations is expected to climb 21.1 percent to Rs 9,728 on-year on the back of a higher average selling price and price hikes undertaken by the company. In Q3FY23, Hero Moto clocked a revenue of Rs 8,031 crore.
This, in turn, could give a boost to the company's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), which is expected to increase 47 percent on-year to Rs 1,361 crore, average estimates show. On the margin front, EBITDA margins could rise by 2.5 percent or 250 basis points to 14 percent from 11.5 percent in the same period last year. "EBITDA margin to expand on better net pricing and scale", Nuvama Institutional Equities said in its preview report. Nuvama also added that the Japanese Yen's depreciation against the Rupee is also a positive.
In January, the company sold 433,598 units, reflecting a 22 percent growth compared to the same month in 2023, where sales stood at 356,690 units. Hero clocked domestic sales of 420,934 units and exports of 12,664 units for January. The overall sales for the fiscal year 2022-2023 reached 4,662,630 units, comprising 4,516,018 units in the domestic market and 146,612 units in exports.
Last month, it introduced two new bikes, the Xtreme 125R and a special collector's edition called 'Hero Forever.' Additionally, the company unveiled the Mavrick 440 at its Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur, stating that the new bike will be available in its flagship showrooms.


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It may seem strange that a company run and owned by a German engineer and a Hong Kong Chinese should symbolise one of the most phenomenal trends driving the world economy.
And yet medium-sized enterprise, Techtronic is a microcosm of a manufacturing and branding revolution that has the China story at its core. And with a stock price that started the year at HK$3 and ended it at over HK$7, investors obviously agree - indeed, it ranks as one of the few stocks in Hong Kong to double in what is agreed by all to have been a very trying year.
When you look at the annual report and the graphs of the company's turnover and profit growth since 1990 it looks like a business school case study. While profit has grown at a 45 degree angle; turnover has grown at close to 70 degrees. In 1999 the turnover was HK$2.6 billion; in 2001 it was HK$6.1 billion; this year it will be closer to HK$10 billion, according to a recent UBS Warburg forecast.
"China is the reason for 90% of our success," says chairman, CEO and major shareholder Horst Pudwill. "We have tried producing elsewhere. We have a presence in Mexico, and Indonesia; but there is no place in the world that is efficient as China."
So what is Techtronic?
The company was founded by Pudwill (a former Volkswagen engineer) and current managing director and fellow major shareholder Roy Chung in 1985 as a manufacturer of powertools. In the first year its sales amounted to HK$1 million; but each year the company added six new products; and likewise got more and more savvy at using Hong Kong's Chinese hinterland as its manufacturing base.
Having become an extremely low cost producer, the company had specialized in manufacturing on behalf of others, who then added their brand to the product. However, Pudwill and Chung knew that the future was in controlling not just the manufacturing but also the brand.
The new era for the company began in 1999. One of its former customers was Japanese powertool company, Ryobi. It had tended to sell its product in overseas markets at a high price. Pudwill negotiated with the Japanese company to buy the rights to the Ryobi name in the US, Europe and Australia.
It then rolled out a massive marketing campaign in the US, and cut prices. Ryobi soon became associated with very high quality at a low price. The growth in sales has been exponential; and has been driven by the manufacturing cost advantages that China provides.
Ironically, most Americans who buy Ryobi powertools think that they are Japanese. A China-based company is thus leveraging off American assumptions about Japanese quality - while doing everything in China.
"We did a survey and the name Ryobi has 80% recognition as a Japanese name; but 90% said they thought it was really good value for money," says Pudwill. "Originally Ryobi started in America with a high price and was a high end product. They had low sales volume. We made it more affordable. You make the money in the mid-range."
This is all part of his bigger ambition. "I want to be the number one or two in the world," says Pudwill of his ambitions in the powertool sector, which in the US alone is worth $9 billion of sales a year. "Next year we will take over the number two spot [held by Bosch]. We are close to Black & Decker We will be the number three this year."
As Marc Faber has said in his recent book, Tomorrow's Gold: "I would not rule out that, just as Lancashire was the workshop of the world in the early 19th century, China will one day assume the mantle and produce with its 1.2 billion people, more manufactured goods than the rest of the world combined."
Techtronic is a company that epitomizes that trend. The fact that it took over a Japanese brand, also emphasizes the way in which Japan's industrial sector is being hollowed out by China at a ferocious speed. As Faber adds: "Increasingly, Japan will be forced to shift its production of manufactured goods to China."
Pudwill agrees: "China is giving Japan a tough time. A lot of Japanese companies are going to China."
Also helping the growth of sales at Techtronic was the company's diversification into a related area. It acquired a company called Homelite that makes appliances used in gardens such as lawn mowers and strimmers.
When it bought Homelite it had been losing about $50 million per year. Within one year - by moving manufacturing to China - the company had moved into mild profitability.
Pudwill now expects that profitability to soar. That's because last year the company was unable to sell to the enormous Californian market due to its tight environmental regulations. Homelite's products did not use so-called clean engines, which have low emissions.
With a 40 million population, California was a key market to crack and so at the beginning of 2002, the company signed a licensing agreement with Japan's Komatsu. The Japanese firm had the clean engine technology; Techtronic then stripped it down to a much lower-cost model.
Techtronic then hired an English engineer from Black & Decker to help set up two factories in China to do just this. They began in April and by October the factories were complete, and at the time of writing had made around one million engines.
To put the sheer efficiency of this process in perspective, Komatsu told Pudwill that it would have taken three years to do the same in Japan.
The company currently makes 74% of its revenues from Powertools, but with the new technology in place at Homelite, this number may shift.
The other new area of expansion is in industrial and domestic vacuum cleaners. Using its cashpile, Techtronic has just bought Royal Appliance for $105 million to obtain its Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner brand.
What is interesting about Pudwill's approach to M&A is the shareholder value that has been achieved in very short periods. Unlike most M&A - which has a mixed track record - he and his team have been highly successful. In part this is down to his exhaustive focus-group polling to find out a brand's worth; and then once purchased he is happy to spend large amounts on marketing.
The company currently has a gearing of 20% and is still looking for acquisitions. To avoid further shareholder dilution, Pudwill says if the company buys anything more for over $100 million, it will issue a bond to fund the acquisition.
It has had a 15 year house bank relationship with HSBC - and has a former HSBC banker on its board of directors - so it seems obvious that HSBC would manage the bond issue. Pudwill is aware that interest rates are at attractive levels, although it is not clear whether he would want to borrow in Hong Kong dollars or US dollars. Given that 86% of its revenues come from the US; the latter may be preferable.
But what is the company looking to buy? Pudwill says there are opportunities in moving further into floorcare or very high-end powertools. In the case of the latter, companies such as Milwaukee, Porter Cable and Metabo could be targets. The latter comes from Pudwill's native Germany and is a 75 year old family business.
It would be a nice irony if the German engineer who went to Hong Kong to build his business, ended up using the efficiency of China as the currency with which to go back to his homeland to buy a prestigious engineering company.
Once again it would say much about the future of global manufacturing and China's role.
With sales in the US doing well in spite of the California blockade, Pudwill is just about the most bullish man I have spoken to in the last 12 months.
He and Chung have major stakes in the company. Both stakes are worth the types of sums that would make any private banker salivate (Pudwill's stake is worth around $120 million). The company has a 61% free float.
And as his company earns more of a global profile via its brands, how much longer can it be before this home-grown Hong Kong/ China success story gets admission to the Hang Seng Index?


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GTA fans are patiently awaiting news on their beloved franchise and an announcement of the inevitable GTA V. But if Billy Pidgeon of M2 Research is correct, we might be waiting a little longer than expected. The industry analyst puts a second half of 2012 launch window on GTA V for reasons unexplained in a quote to Now Gamer. The senior analyst believes that Rockstar will show something at E3 in the summer and then release the game sometime next year.
“GTA 5 will get a Q3 or Q4 2012 release at the earliest,” “We could see a teaser for the game at E3 this year,” claimed the analyst.
It was not clarified whether he was talking about calendar year or fiscal year but there’s a significant difference in the wait if he means calendar year. This analyst is at odds at what other industry types like Michael Pachter believe. The Wedbush Morgan analyst has gone on record on multiple occassions to claim that it is necesary for Rockstar to release a Grand Theft Auto V game in 2011 or 2012. But I must note that he also thought it was necessary for them to release GTA V in 2010 also.
“We are confident that Take-Two will release GTA in either 2011 or 2012,” he wrote, adding that BioShock Infinite should be hitting in 2012 as well. Pachter added that it’s likely that Take-Two and Rockstar will wait to announce the game until the middle of 2011, either via Take-Two’s March earnings report or at E3.”
Earlier in February another analyst also chimed in on when he expected the game to be released. Doug Creutz claimed that a fiscal year 2012 release of GTA V is “highly unlikely”.
With all of these predictions someones got to be right.
- This article was updated on:March 7th, 2018


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Parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, triclosan — these are just some of the potentially harmful ingredients found in some beauty products. As I get older, more and more of my friends are getting pregnant, and only using natural, organic products on themselves and the baby. But why do you have to be expecting and caring for ANOTHER before you start taking care of YOURSELF?
Luckily, there are a ton of amazing natural, organic, plant-derived products to make your hair and skin look amazing all year long. Ditch the toxic chemicals and make your life more naturally beautiful!
Lubricity Labs, the homegrown line of anti-frizz hair care products, is expanding in July, rolling out of seven new products, including three sold only in salons. The move comes after a huge—and unexpected—growth surge for the startup, founded in 2016 by biogeochemist Dr. Boyce Clark, who developed a highly effective, all-natural, two-step smoothing system to help his frizzy-haired, teenage daughter combat her chronic bad hair days.
Sure, you may be strategizing your warm-weather wardrobe or working on a clear skin plan before the mercury rises — but one area that needs equal attention is your hair. Summer is the most carefree of seasons, but it’s also the time of year when most of us want to do the least with our mane and still look good.
What is a single father to do when his young daughter is being bullied because of her coarse, frizzy hair? Well, if that father has a PhD in Biogeochemistry, he creates an innovative solution that tames her frizz, without sacrificing her health with use of toxic ingredients and damaging heat.


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With last week’s announcement that it is buying a majority stake in Cornershop, rideshare service Uber signalled that it’s preparing to move into grocery delivery in Canada and elsewhere.
Cornershop is an online grocery provider based in Latin America that delivers groceries in Canada as well as Mexico, Chile and Peru.
The deal is expected to be completed early next year, says NPR, reporting also that Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi plans to bring the Cornershop delivery service under the Uber platform.
Competition in the online grcery delivery space is heating up – just a day before the Uber announcement, Walmart revealed a new deal with Cornershop for grocery delivery in Canada. That partnership will use Cornershop’s own app, while Uber will include Cornershop within its own app.


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PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (WWTI) — A new campaign in the North Country has one straightforward message:
“Buy local or bye-bye local.”
The SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center and regional partners have launched the campaign to remind community members the importance of shopping local.
According to SBDC, the campaign will aim to bring awareness to consumers. The campaign will highlight gift ideas that feature small businesses. Specific businesses emphasized will include restaurants, salons, bowling alleys, movie theaters, gyms, nonprofits and breweries.
“Few sectors have escaped the effects of the lockdown. Independently owned businesses and not-for-profit organizations have been hit particularly hard,” stated SUNY Canton SBDC Assistant Director Angela Smith. “Uniting together to shop local first will help save small businesses across our North Country region and could even fuel an economic recovery.”
Through this campaign th SBDC has announced their partnership with organizations in seven counties, including the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce.
- Man wanted for shooting Mass. state trooper shot, killed by US Marshals; 2 officers hurt
- Get a call offering you an early COVID-19 vaccine? It’s a scam
- US adds 245,000 jobs as virus threatens the economy’s slow comeback
- Convicted Capital Region contractor continues to find reprieve with COVID-19 delays, adjournments
- Twitter could ban Trump after he leaves office
Stay up-to-date by liking ABC50 on Facebook.


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Korean messaging giant Line can be found on just about any platform, including Windows PCs, and currently holds the messaging app crown in Japan, while placing in the top five in most Asian markets. With 216 million monthly active users compared to the reigning champ WhatsApp’s recent attainment of the 1 billion mark, they’re not doing terribly bad on the world stage. The app is owned by South Korean Naver Corp, but operates as its own company, Line Corporation. Attempts to become a full-fledged web platform, in the vein of Facebook’s Messenger, are coming along quite nicely in some markets. In Indonesia, however, they’ve decided to make a new effort to pull ahead of their rivals and out of fourth place by integrating with the country’s most popular taxi service, PT Go-Jek Indonesia. This is the first arrangement of this sort that Line has made and it’s hoping that this will attract enough users to give them the kind of momentum they’ll need to outpace Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp, as well as WeChat.
Although many users may already have Go-Jek’s official app, Line has made integration very simple and hopes this will court current app users and new users of Go-Jek’s service. To get started, all a user has to do is add Go-Jek’s official account, gojekindonesia, to their friends list. From there, they’ll be presented with a picture. Tapping that begins a relatively simple signup process. After the initial signup is completed, all users have to do to hail is message the word “Order” to Go-Jek’s account. They’ll receive some info on their driver, as well as contact info if needed, and the driver will be on their way.
Along with the obvious benefits of being cheaper and faster than a traditional taxi, motorcycle taxi Go-Jek is now easier to reach than ever. They are already Indonesia’s most popular motorcycle taxi, given the often rather difficult traffic in the main cities, but Go-Jek may just become more popular thanks to this deal. Line has 30 million users in Indonesia and Go-Jek’s app has been downloaded 6 million times, though they did not disclose the number of active users. There are over 200,000 registered drivers across 10 cities.


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Released by Csharks Games and Solutions Pvt Ltd, Adventure Jack is a new adventure game for the Android platform. In this game, players will be assuming the eponymous role of Jack, who was piloting a plane that experienced engine failure, forcing him to crash land in the jungle.
Day: April 27, 2016
Back in October 2015 we reported on a new puzzle game called Ghosts of Memories. This particular game follows in the footsteps visually of other popular games such as Monument Valley and Lara Croft GO. However, with this game everything seems themed around a more mythological ancient civilizations.
If you’re a fan of old school style of platformers, such as Super Mario Bros and other similar games, then there’s a bit of good news for you today. One of the games we checked out at GDC this year was a game called Super Phantom Cat, which takes a lot of inspiration from some of the classic platformers to have ever been released, but has a bit of a unique visual look to it.
Marvel Puzzle Quest will be getting its own Civil War, all of which is inspired by the Captain America: Civil War movie and storyline. This will be an in-game event that will launch a day before the movie lands in theaters (May 6th, 2016) where players will be able to pick a side to be on, whether it is Team Iron Man or Team Captain America.
Following the successful funding of a Kickstarter campaign, Montreal-based Thunder Lotus Games launched the Viking action platformer Jotun on PC last year. PlayStation 4, Wii U and Xbox One versions are also releasing later this year, but you don’t have to wait that long if you have an Nvidia Shield device. Shield owners with a GeForce Now membership can stream the game today at no additional cost.
Back near the beginning of March this year during GDC 2016 we announced that Minecraft would be getting some Virtual Reality love in the near future. While this was for the PC version and headsets like the Oculus Rift, there was also a version announced for the Samsung Gear VR. Well Minecraft Gear VR Edition is now available for download.
During Nintendo’s announcement regarding their full fiscal year, with the latest one having just ended on March 31st, 2016, the company revealed what their plans will be for their next mobile games. This announcement should make a lot of people happy, especially those of you who are fans of the Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing franchises, since their next couple of games will be coming from those two franchises.
Released by Pebble Games, World of Dots is a new puzzler that’s available for the Android Platform. Set in a world where all the “dots” can now be rearranged, players will look to rebuild their world, which had fallen into chaos with its inhabitants turning on each other, and back in to one of order.
Kiloo is primarily known for their gargantuan hit Subway Surfers. They have other really good games too. They plan to add to their impressive list of games with a new MOBA called Spellbinders. It will arrive for Android and iOS, April 28th.
Soon to be released by Cherrypick Games, Now Escape! is a new endless runner game for Android devices. The idea of this runner game is fairly simple. Players will be dragging their shape, in this case an orange star, around the screen as it moves forward. There are various obstacles that need to be avoided, but they are also capable of rotating, pivoting, or otherwise transforming, and they do so without notice. This means you’ll need to have some pretty decent reflexes as well.


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Shop closures in Scotland's towns and cities 'average one a day'
An average of one shop a day closed during the first eight months of the year, a study of Scottish towns and cities has found.
A total of 188 stores closed in the first six months of 2012, with the situation said to have accelerated in July and August when another 65 closed.
According to figures compiled for financial firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, 175 stores opened in eight months.
But there was an overall net loss of 78 high street shops.
Glasgow lost the largest amount of outlets, with 105 closing and only 47 opening, giving a total fall of 58.
It was followed by Dundee, which had a net loss of nine shops, and Paisley, which lost six overall, while Edinburgh had a net loss of two.
Both Aberdeen and Ayr gained two; with nine stores closed in Ayr and 11 opened, and 22 shops closed in Aberdeen with 24 opening.
Shops selling computer games, toys, clothes, gifts, jewellery, furniture and cards are said to have been the hardest hit so far this year.
Pawnbrokers, charity shops, bookmakers, coffee shops, discount and convenience stores and cheque cashing outlets bucked the trend.
Bruce Cartwright, head of business recovery at PwC in Scotland, said: "Despite the promise of an Olympic feel-good boost for retailers, it appears the vagaries of the British climate combined with rising inflation, a squeeze on consumer spending, and dented consumer confidence leading more people to look for the best deal online, have not delivered the much hoped for gold.
"Store-dependent high street retailers continue to experience a drop in sales and reduced footfall and for those in distress, this could be exacerbated by simply having too many locations.
"The insolvencies of Game, Peacocks and Clintons demonstrated this in spades.
"The next six months will be no less challenging for retailers and with the Christmas season fast approaching, they will undoubtedly be hoping to see a flurry of customers in the final quarter."
He said retailers feared that shoppers would continue to be cautious, as the prospect of rising food and fuel bills loomed large in their minds.